Merry-go-round hub



March 3l. 1925. 5 1,531,500

Q. B. PICKETT MERRY-GO- ROUND HUB Filed July 29, 192,4

parts hereinafter described and lclaimedand Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

OLIVER B. PIGKETT, 0F. Lona BEACH, eamroaivia.

A1,5315@ PATENT oFFic MERRY-GO-BOUND HUB.

Appncaaon med July 29, 1924. serial No. 728,881. Y

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OLivEn B. PICKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Merry-Go- Round I-Iubs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention particularly pertains to the overhead support and bearings for merry-gorounds, carrousels, and the like, and also relates to the mechanismfor effecting actuation of the carriage-seats or figures embodied in a merry-go-round to impart vertical Vmotion thereto while being advanced.

In the construction of merry-go-rounds of a well known type, a rotary platform is provided on which is mounted a series of vertically movable seats ,usually designed in' representation of figures such as animals and birds and which arev equipped with seats for riders, and further embodies a Stationary centralstandard on the upper portion of which is revolubly supported the inner portion of an overhead or super-structurecarried by the rotary,y platform. It is the purpose of my invention to provide an effective means whereby the vertical movement of the seats may be accomplished from overhead and contemplates the provision of a hub, a bearing and a supportfor the superstructure, embodying the driving mechanism for actuating the seats, which is so constructed as to be easily assembled so as to permit ready removal and replacementV thereof.

Another object is to provide in a structure of the above character, a circular toothedrackA and a-substantial mounting therefor on the standard, and to provide a means whereby ya series of pinions meshing with said rack and adapted to traverse saine may be adjusted to properly seat thereon and whereby the piuious and rack may be relieved of supporting any portion. of the load. of the 1n erry-go-roun d super-structiire.

IVil'h'the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently amical?` the iurentiou resides in the parts-and in the construction, comblnation and arrangement of illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a merry-go-round, embodying the invention.

zings 16.

Figure 2 is a View in horizontal section as seen on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

-Figure 3 is aview in vertical section and elevation, as seen on the line 3-8 of Figure 2; y Y

Figure i4 is aperspective view of the bearing sleeve. f V Y i ,Figure 5 is a plan view ofthe bearing sleeve. t y

More specifically 6 indicates a lmerry-goround which embodies a rotary platform 7, an overhead frame or super-structure 8 supported at its outer portion by Standards 9 carried by the platform, a stationary central standardv 10, and seats 11 carried by vertivcally'reciprocalv rods 12, which rods 12 are guided in suitable bearings at their lower ends and'have their `upper ends pivotally connected to cranks 13 on shafts 14 carried lby the super-structure Sand extending radially from the standard 10. The outer end portions of the shafts'14 are journaled in bearings 15adja'cent the cranksl and have their inner endportions journa'led in bear- In carrying out the invention, the bea-r-` ings 16 are carried on a hub 17 comprising an annulus l18 having a horizontally extending fla-nge 19`projecting from the upper portion thereof and which' flange isturned upwardly at its outer portion toy form a wall 20.

Encompassing the standard 10, isa rsleeve 21 particularly shown-in ]i"ig ,`ure'1,gV which sleeve is formed with a tapere'd'upp'er end portion 22 converging upwardly from an annular flange 23 formed on the sleeve and spaced from theflower'edge of the latter,fand formed on thev sleeve beneath theiiange 23 is a series of pairs of lugs 24 adapted to receive the upper ends of bracesor Struts 25 which extend downwardly and outwardly at an incline and seat at their lower ends on a suitable fixed support; the struts and sleeve Cil The sleeve 2l is positioned on the standard y so that lits tapered portion 'will lextend through the hub 17 and encircling the' sleevel is a ring 29 the inner face of which is beveled to conform` to the taper of the sleeve; this ring being driven downwardly on the sleeve to effect Ledge engagement therewith ,and act ,to contract the lsleeve against the sta-ndard. The outer circumferential face .of ,the ring 29 extends in close proximity to .the inner peripheral face of the hub 17 and serves as a bearing for the latter. If desirable, roller or ball-bearings 30 may be interposed between the hub if?, and the ring 29; the hub 17 being designed to rotate around the ning v29.

thecollar ,32 and is vadapted toengage the sleeve-21tr) hold .the sleeve and collar against ,ree ltive movement.

Mounted -on-the inner ends .ofthe radial shafts 14 are pinions :34 which mesh Vwwith npwardly extending-teeth ,i'of the rack 3l.

4The hulev 18 is carried ion radial Atimbers '36 embodied in the super-structure 8; :the inner end pontions of which timbers 'seat .on a ,ring '13,7 which is suspended from nods :o8 idependingfrom arotaryplate 39 carried on the ,upper end 4of the standard l0, the plate :beingforinednn its underside `with a' stein 4() projecting,` downwardly into a Soclet bearing 4l on .the .end of the standard and seating on aball thrust-bearing 42.

VvThe lower .ends of`V the rods .38 ypass,

through the radial timbers `and through the ring 3f?. and `have their lower .end p orv tionsthreaded to receive nuts 43. The upper ends .of the rods 38 y.extend through openings in the :plate 39 and are threaded .to receive nuts 44.

The load ,of theinner portion of the superstructure vis designed to be carried by the .depending nods-38, plate 23.9 .and bearing` 42 Vwhereby this load .will not be imposed upon l the pinion B4 ,and rack 31; it being desirv Iable that the pinions 34 seat Yon the rack in running engagement therewith, and not under load, so as to reduce wear `of the pinion Vand rack to a minimum.

y'As a vmeans for stabilizing' lthe hub 18 and to ,minimize vertical movement thereof,

va fshim .4.5 in the form of L ringis interposed between the lower `edge ofthe collar 32 and v0X1'ending over the upper :face 'of hubl iis positioned around the be'aring'ring 29v and before the collar is assembled IOn the the hub Aas shown in Figure 3.

This shim is pnt in place after the sleeve, and. is: for-medyof athickness to allow a Slight-Clearance between it and the 0911er afterall@ latter iS ,driven to its Seated Position. I

An important feature of the invention re- Sides in forn'iing dief-bearings integral with .the .hub 18, which construction facilitates forming the bearings in ltrue radial alignment with the axis of the h ub, and also .obv-iates racking,` and disarrangeinent of the bearings due to shifting of the timbers 36 under the strains imposed thereon when the merry-go-round is in operation.

-The application Vof the invention isA apparent from -the foregoing, it .being seen ,that-the parts may be readily assembled and disassembled, which is particularly advantageous in the rconstruction of merry-go- 1nonnds 4that are designed to be frequently vtaken zdown and set fnp, .and that proper :specific r. embodiment of the invention, it is manifestly subject to modification and I f accordingly-donot liniit myself tothe yexact construction and .arrangement shown, as I may employ such changes, modifications and requivale' nts of the ,parts as come .within the spi-rit .of the invention Aas definedV in the .appended claims.

l. In a merry-go-rontmha standard, ,an annular toothed rack encircling `said standard, a snper-strnctnre revolnble around said standard, a rotary slialftrearried .by said su-V per-structure, -a pinionon said shaft meshing .with .said rack, la rotaryplate journaled on said'standard above said rack, and-adjustable depending rods 4suspending `said super-structure from said plate.

2,. In a `merry-go-.r.oun,d a standard, an .annular toothed` racl; encircling said standard, a super-structure revolublearonnd said standard, a rotary shaft carried by said super-structure, `vpinion-.on ,said shaft InGShinp; with said rack, rotary plate journaled onsaid standard ,above said rack, adjustable. depending rods suspending said superstructurev from 4said plate',an.d `a guide bearing; betweensaid super-.structure and -standard. 1

8. In a ymerry-go-round, a. standard, a ,sleeve .on-said standard, an annulartoothed rack carried by. said sleeve, a revolnble super-structure niountedto rotate around said standard, a hub on said super-structure encircling said sleeve, a guide bearing between 1 Sad hub and Sleeve, rotary shaftsca-rried byk lOfi said super-structm-e, pinions on said shafts meshing with said toothed rack, and means for supporting said super-structure adapted to be adjusted` to enable proper seating of the pinions on the rack.

4. In a merry-go-round, a standard, a split sleeve, encircling said standard, a demountable annular toothed rack carried by said sleeve, means whereby mounting said rack on said sleeve Will effect clamping engagement of the sleeve on the standard, a super-structure mounted torotate around said standard, rotary shafts carried by said super-structure, pinions on said shafts meshing with said rack, and a guide bearing between said super-structure and sleeve.

In a merry-go-round, a standard, a split sleeve encircling the standard and having a tapered upper end portion, an annular toothed rack adapted to encircle said sleeve and to seat on the tapered portion thereof to effect clamping engagement between said sleeve and standard. Y

6. In a meriy-go-round, a standard, a split sleeve encircling the standard and having a tapered upper end portion, an annular toothed rack adapted to encircle said sleeve and to seat on the tapered portion thereof to effect clamping engagement between said sleeve and standard, and struts supporting said sleeve on said standard.

7. In a merry-go-round, a standard, a sleeve adapted to encircle said standard having a tapered upper end portion, a ring seating' on said sleeve, an annular toothed rack encircling the sleeve and seating on the tapered portion thereof, a super-structure mounted to rotate around said standard, a

hub on said super-structure encircling said ring and forming With the latter a guide bearing, rotary shafts on said super-structure and pinions on said shafts meshing with said rack.

8. In a merry-go-round, a standard,ra sleeve adapted to encircle said standard having-a tapered upper end portion, aring seating on said sleeve, an annular toothed rack encircling the sleeve and seating on the tapered portion thereof, a super-structure mounted to rotate around said standard, a hub on said super-structure encircling said ring and forming with the latter a guide bearing, rotary shafts on said super-structure, pinions on said shafts meshing with said rack, and bearings carried by said hub in which said shafts are ,journaled 9. In a inerry-go-round, a standard, a

sleeve adapted to encircle said standardl having a tapered upper end portion, a ring seating on said sleeve, an annular toothedV rack encircling the. sleeve and seating on the tapered portion thereof, a super-structure mounted to rotate around said standard, a

hub on said super-structure encircling said ring and forming with the lattera guidebearing, rotary shafts `on said super-structure, pinions on said shafts meshing` with said rack, bearings carried by said hub in which said shafts are journaled, and means for supporting said super-structure independent of said rack and bearing.. f

OLIVERB. PIGKETT 

